Park University unit 3 Post Racial American Society Discussion

 

 

Directions

Find an example from the news that challenges the idea that we live in a post-racial society.

1. Explain what inequality, bias, and privilege are exhibited.
2. What does this tell us about the salience of race in contemporary society? One example might be when Starbucks employees called the police on two black men sitting in the coffee shop.  (Men Arrested at Philadelphia Starbucks Speak out; Police Commissioner Apologizes (Links to an external site.))

Post 1

Jamesha WaldenYesterdayMar 29 at 7:15pm

Manage Discussion Entry

One popular example that challenges the idea that we live in a post-racial society is the Royal family. Harry and Megan got married, everyone thought Megan was living a royal life living in the palace. Megan reveled that this wasn’t true in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. The couple was already married so the ceremony itself was only for the media so they would think they were a monumental change, after all she was an African American marrying a prince. Megan explained that she was so depressed from how she was being treated she considered suicide while she was pregnant. No one really called her out her name or used language towards her, but they treated her differently, accusation that she was a bully and was treated like she was an alien. Her story tells us no matter where you are in the world, some form of racism still exist. Like the example above about the two black men in Starbucks, they treated them differently because of their skin color. A lot of black women go through this, we are betrayed as the “black angry woman”, the one who never smiles, or the one who has an attitude. I can’t even tell you how many times a white man has told me I was rude all because I didn’t smile or talk to someone I knew. I even was judged because I’m from the south and they would say “I bet you went to a ghetto school”. I didn’t know what a ghetto school was for one, and secondly I attended a magnet school. It’s ashamed I have to tell strangers that their accusations about me are wrong; they judged me and tried to treat me different because of my skin color.

Andrews, O. (2021, March 14). Opinion: Royal family’s ‘post-racial’ fantasy unravels. Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/08/opinions/meghan-mar…Reply

Post 2

Jessica SubiaYesterdayMar 30 at 6:55pm

Manage Discussion Entry

1. A video (Miles, 2021) went viral on Mar. 24, 2021 of a woman shouting racial slurs at a Black worker in a bakery in Manhattan. The woman is videotaped ordering baked goods when the cashier, a young Black man, reminds her that she forgot her face mask. When he asks her to donn a mask, she becomes irate and defensive. When the manager comes out, she tells the customer that she will not be served without a mask on. The customer then shouts profanity and calls the Black man the “N” word. When the manager, as well as other customers, attempt to tell her that she cannot say things like that, she proceeds to shout that she can call him whatever she wants because “that’s what he is” (Miles, 2021). Blatant inequality and bias is exhibited in the video when the woman directs her anger and hate only towards the Black man. Even when the manager tells her that she won’t be served and asks her to leave, she never yells at her, only at the Black worker. The reaction from the Black man is minimal. He does not shout back or appear emotional or outraged. He steps back and let’s the other workers come forward, almost as if he might be used to it. This is also exhibiting how the Black man is accustomed to this level of inequality. Privilege is exhibited when the customer feels like she has the right to say whatever she wants to whomever she wants based on her personal bias and prejudices.

2. The video tells us that race salience is still very relevant in contemporary society. In order for this person to have such bias and prejudice, they must first believe that race matters and is a basis for how to categorize and treat others. When people categorize by race, they start to associate the differences they observe with all people of the same race group (Gallagher, 2019, p.155). This is where bias, prejudice, and stereotypes stem from. When a person allows these beliefs to lead their actions, this then leads to discrimination, inequality, and oppression and ends up looking like the customer in the video.

Jess

Gallagher, C. A. (2019). Rethinking the Color Line: Readings in Race and Ethnicity. Sixth Edition. SAGE Publications, Inc. Thousand Oaks, California.

Miller, M. (2021). “Video Shows Woman Shout Racial Slurs at Black Cashier After Refusing to Wear Mask at Bakery.” 4 New York. Nbcnewyork.com. Lower East Side, NY. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/video-shows-woman-shout-racial-slurs-at-black-cashier-after-refusing-to-wear-mask-at-nyc-bakery/2961225/